KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking a ban on the animated biblical musical film David (2025) for allegedly hurting Muslim religious sentiments. The plea was filed by Abdul Razzaq against the federal government, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the film censor board, and others.
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A two-judge bench comprising Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed rejected the petition at the preliminary hearing stage, observing that it was “misconceived.” The court noted that the petitioner objected to the portrayal of the Prophet David in the film, alleging that the trailer was inconsistent with Islamic teachings.
The bench referred to a similar 2022 petition against the film Joyland, which had also been dismissed. In that case, the SHC had held that once a film has cleared the censor board, courts cannot override that decision based on an individual’s moral judgment. The order highlighted that under Article 19 of the Constitution, freedom of speech and expression is to be safeguarded, and courts should only intervene if a restriction imposed by a competent authority is unreasonable.
“Unnecessary censorship suffocates a society and stifles its creativity and growth,” the court observed, adding that Islam is strong enough to withstand portrayals in fictional cinematic works. The bench also emphasised that the court is not tasked with morally policing the public or deciding what content may or may not be viewed.
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By dismissing the petition, the SHC reinforced the principle that certification by the censor board is sufficient for public release, and that challenges based solely on individual perceptions of morality are unlikely to succeed.